


Wanted to Go

by sourwulfur



Series: Cry Wolf [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Long Distance Relationship, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pining, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-05-21
Packaged: 2017-12-07 05:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/744913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourwulfur/pseuds/sourwulfur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jackson and Stiles had a wonderful summer together. However, good things do not always last; and, distance puts a strain on things with the couple. Only time will tell if they can work through all the things thrown their way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Far Away

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a sequel to "Coffee & Tea", and will also be two chapters. I hope you enjoy!

The summer was quickly fading; Stiles realized that one morning late in August when he was at the shop alone, preparing for the open because Jackson had to go back to campus and resolve a conflict in his schedule that term and would be leaving in less than an hour. Jackson would be going back to his big university in a few short weeks, where he could easily forget all about their summer romance, if it could even be called that. Stiles sighed and ran both hands through his hair before shaking them out and going over to the sink to wash them so that he could return to the muffins he was working on. “What's got you so glum?” Caroline asked loudly as she suddenly came into the back room.

 

“Shit!” Stiles swore loudly as he jumped, startled at her arrival. He winced as his jumping sent a bowl of flour and sugar that was supposed to go to a batch of cookies hit the floor. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Saw on the schedule that you were here alone.” She grabbed the broom and dust pan as she explained, starting to sweep up the mess after Stiles picked up the bowl to place it in the skin. “Figured I’d come keep you company. So, spill, and not more flour.”

 

“Very funny.” Stiles rolled his eyes as he finished pouring the muffin batter into the tins. “I'm fine, really. Just over-thinking things.”

 

“Like Jackson going back to school?” She dumped the white powder into the trash as she looked over at Stiles, who frowned as he focused on his baking. “You knew he would go back eventually.”

 

“Yeah, I just... didn't think it'd feel this soon, y'know?” Stiles sighed as he put the muffins into the oven. “We're still just figuring this whole thing out, and now he's going to go back to his big university, and it'll be like this never happened.” Stiles worried at his lower lip as he worked on mixing a large batch of chocolate chunk cookies. “He'll meet someone better.”

 

Caroline frowned as she studied her friend for a few long moments before she started to help him finish everything for the morning shift, trying to keep him distracted the entire time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jackson somehow managed to make it to the campus in time for his meeting, despite having left late because he had stopped by the shop on his way out of town. He noticed when he was there that Stiles had seemed upset about something, but he had not asked. It bothered him the entire drive despite the fact that that Stiles had sent him off with a coffee that had gone cold, a kiss, and a smile.

 

The meeting was boring, but by the time it was done, his schedule had been straightened out. Leaving the building, he bumped into Wendy Moore, a girl that had been in his math class the term before. The two of them stopped to talk and ended up grabbing lunch at the cafe just down the street from campus. She told him about her joining a sorority and moving in early, inviting him to a party at the start of term; and, he told her about his internship that fall. They talked for a good few hours before exchanging numbers with a promise to talk as they went their separate directions. All the while, he had been thinking about Stiles and how they should do something that evening. With a smile, Jackson pulled his phone back out, calling Stiles as he walked to his car, the expression growing on his face when Stiles answered. “Hey, what are your plans for this evening?” he asked, pinning the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he started the car. He then placed the phone into the hands-free carrier and turned on the speaker phone.

 

“Uhm, I was gonna order some pizza and just stay in?” replied Stiles as he made his way up the stairs to the apartment that Scott had mostly moved out of and Danny was in the process of moving in to with him. “Why?”

 

“How about you order enough for two and I grab us a few movies on my way back in?”

 

Jackson smiled as he pulled out of the student parking lot, hearing the smile in Stiles' voice as he said, “Yeah, alright. Grab some sodas, too?”

 

“You got it.”

 

They spent the next few minutes discussing movie options (“I'm not watching a sports movie, again, Jax!” “But its a great one, baby.” “Maybe if there were zombies.”) as Jackson drove and Stiles cleaned up the apartment a little, moving some of Danny’s boxes out of the way, toward Scott's old room before they finally hung up. Stiles then took a shower and changed clothes (he was definitely not wearing a hoodie with Jackson’s sports number on it) and waited until he knew Jackson was close before ordering a pizza (large, one side with bacon and onions, the other side extra cheese and pepperoni).

 

It seemed like ages later before Stiles was opening the door to let Jackson in, and Stiles kissed him as he moved into the apartment, using the distraction to steal the small bag of movies from him. “Cheater,” Jackson stated with an amused smirk as he shut the door behind him. He took off his jacket, setting it on the chair by the door that collected everyone's jackets before walking up behind Stiles, slipping his hands into the pocket of the hoodie that Stiles was definitely not wearing, looking over his shoulder as he sorted through the movies.

 

“You hate this one,” Stiles pointed out as he held up the newest Star Trek movie, a small smile tugging on his lips while they walked toward the couch in the living room.

 

“Mmm, but you like it.” Jackson shrugged a little, only removing his hands from Stiles hoodie when the other man gently squeezed his arm.

 

Stiles went over to the television to put that movie in first, taking the remote to the couch where he and Jackson sat down. Jackson wrapped an arm around Stiles' shoulders, while the slighter man leaned against him with a soft hum. “I'm still not watching a sports movie.” Stiles smiled at Jackson as he started to set up the movie and laughed, flinching as Jackson poked his side with the hand that was not toying with his hair.

 

“It has zombies in it.”

 

“You're lying.”

 

“Maybe.”

 

The two of them talked through most of the beginning of the movie, and Jackson got up once the pizza arrived, paying for it before taking it over to the coffee table next to the sodas he had sat down earlier. Stiles immediately got into the box and stole one of the pieces before settling back down onto the couch, smiling when Jackson sat next to him again. Neither one talked as they ate, beyond Jackson’s quips at Stiles wanting onion on his pizza, to which Stiles just poked his tongue out in response. After the movie was over, Stiles got up to put another one in, one of the ones Jackson had grabbed that they could both agree on. He then returned to the couch and tugged on Jackson’s shirt. “I'm tired, lay down with me,” he insisted.

 

Jackson’s brow rose but he followed Stiles' tugging to lay out on his side, back against the back of the couch. Stiles settled down in front of him, back to his chest with his head just under his chin so they could both still see the movie. Jackson toyed with one of the strings on Stiles' hoodie, and both of them had small smiles as they lay there.

 

Once the movie ended, Jackson tightened the arm he had draped over Stiles, drawing the man closer to his front while pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I should go,” he said softly without making any move to get up just yet. He had meant to talk to Stiles about what had been bothering him, but had never gotten around to it; and, he did not think that then, when Stiles was half-asleep, was a good time to do so. He would the next day when they got a chance to talk.

 

“Mmm... stay,” replied Stiles, his voice thick with sleep as he rested his hand on top of Jackson’s, lacing his fingers between the other man's. “You can borrow some clothes.”

 

“Okay.” Jackson had taken a moment of thought before answering, nodding a little as he tightened his fingers around Stiles'.

 

Stiles smiled and continue to lay there for a few moments before reluctantly sitting up, letting go of Jackson’s hand. He turned off the television before standing up, holding his hand out for Jackson to take once again, only starting to walk toward the bedroom when Jackson had and had stood up as well. “I've got some clothes Scott left,” he said, clearing his throat a little. “They should fit you better.” Jackson nodded a little as he followed Stiles, putting his free hand in the pocket of Stiles' hoodie again, keeping Stiles pressed close to them as they awkwardly walked toward the bedroom. Stiles laughed lowly, but rested back against Jackson. “You're awfully handsy tonight.”

 

“I can stop,” replied Jackson as he gently squeezed Stiles' hand, not letting go even after they got to the bedroom.

 

“No.” Stiles shook his head with a smile, brushing his thumb against Jackson’s hand. “'M not complaining. It's just an observation.” He liked whenever Jackson would touch him, no matter how small or innocent the action was. It was reassuring to him, a reminder that they really were together and everything had actually happened. “C'mon, let's get you into something comfortable and you can continue with the whole handsy thing.”

 

Jackson chuckled a little, nodding at Stiles' suggestion before letting him go. Crossing the room to the dresser, Stiles smiled and dragged out some sleep pants he had stolen from Scott ages ago, and a t-shirt in case Jackson wanted it. Since he was already in sleep pants himself, Stiles just took off the hoodie he was wearing before climbing into the bed. He nuzzled into the pillow a little, closing his eyes with a sigh before opening them again, smirking a little as he watched Jackson changing into the pants. “Perv,” Jackson stated as he tied the pants in place before climbing into the bed behind Stiles.

 

“Can't blame me for looking.” Stiles yawned with a shake of his head, smiling as Jackson’s arm came around his middle again. He grabbed the blanket to tug up over the both of them while nestling back against Jackson’s chest, humming a little at the feeling of his fingers on his chest. “You're hot.”

 

The two of them continued to talk softly there in the bed, Stiles slowly starting to be lulled into sleep from the mix of having someone pressed so close, the comforting brush of fingers against his skin, and the sound of Jackson’s voice. The last thing Jackson remembered until morning was Stiles mumbling something about having good dreams.

 

It was daylight when the alarm on Stiles' bedside table went off, since neither of them needed to be at the shop until noon. Stiles groaned and snuggled back against the warmth behind him, attempting to hide his head beneath his pillow. Jackson scowled, pressing his face against Stiles' shoulder until the other man reached over and made the alarm stop beeping. “We should move,” Stiles' muffled voice said beneath the pillow. “Breakfast and coffee is a must.”

 

“Mmm,” Jackson hummed in response, nodding a little while drawing Stiles closer to his front, making him laugh softly.

 

“Gonna have to let me go, big guy.” Stiles tapped his arm lightly, lifting his head enough to knock the pillow off and to the floor. He wiggled around enough that he could turn and face Jackson directly, reaching up to brush a hand along his jawline. “Gonna have to hit you if you don't let go.” Jackson grumbled, but let him go and Stiles smiled brightly, pressing a kiss to his nose. “Good boy.”

 

He smirked at Jackson’s indignant response and made his way into the bathroom so he could brush his teeth and get rid of that nasty morning taste, setting out an extra toothbrush before going out to the kitchen where he started some coffee, and decided to make some cinnamon rolls (cheating by using the tinned kind from the grocery store) for breakfast. “Set out a toothbrush for you,” Stiles said over his shoulder when he finally heard movement back behind him, reaching up to run a hand through his untidy hair. He turned to actually look over at Jackson, who was standing in the bedroom doorway, arms crossed over his chest with a slight smile on his face. Stiles' brow furrowed and he turned to fully face the other man. “What?”

 

“Nothing,” replied Jackson with a shake of his head, pushing himself to stand up straight before walking over to Stiles, using the string of his hoodie to pull him into a kiss. Stiles tensed a little in surprise for only a moment, and then he rested a hand on Jackson’s shoulder as he relaxed. “Morning.”

 

After that, it was common for Stiles to stay over at Jackson’s place, or for Jackson to stay over at Stiles', multiple times a week, especially after Danny moved in. The few weeks left before Jackson had to go off to college went a lot faster than Stiles would have liked, and he woke up the morning that the other man was going to leave with a feeling of dread. It was about two in the morning, and Stiles had an hour to get to the shop. He frowned and snuggled into his bed more, closing his eyes for a long few moments before forcing himself to get up and get ready for the day.

 

An hour later, he walked into the shop with his coffee in hand, humming some song that had been on the radio as he headed back to the kitchen, where he expected to find Isaac finishing the overnight baking. He stumbled to a stop, nearly spilling his coffee, when he found Jackson in there instead. “Shouldn't you be asleep?” questioned Stiles, though a smile formed on his face. “You need to be on the road in a few hours.”

 

“Yeah, well, I figured I’d come in and help out for a bit. Couldn't really sleep,” Jackson answered with a shrug. He had realized that he found it harder to sleep on the nights Stiles was not next to him. He just felt like he was missing something, and he didn't like it. The two of them worked easily together, talking about anything that came to mind until Jackson finally asked, “Are you okay?”

 

It was not the first time he had asked Stiles in the previous few weeks, but he could not shake the feeling that there was something bothering the man who was singing along to the music playing on the iPod. Stiles wet his lips and nodded as he looked at Jackson with a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Test.” Stiles held a small ball of the cookie dough that he was working on to Jackson’s lips, trying to change the subject and focus on work.

 

Jackson frowned a little but ate the small piece from Stiles' fingers, pressing a kiss to them as Stiles brushed them against his skin. “S'good. You know you can talk to me, right? About anything?” Stiles nodded and continued to work, making medium sized balls of dough to put on the cookie sheet so that he could continue to do something with his hands, distracting himself. Jackson sighed softly and gently took hold of each of Stiles' wrists, stilling his hands. “Talk to me. What's bothering you? I know it has for a while.”

 

A soft laugh passed Stiles' lips before he could stop it. “You've noticed?”

 

“I've always noticed you.” Jackson reached up to brush some flour off of Stiles' face, brow furrowing a little as Stiles worried at his lower lip. “Please, talk to me.”

 

Stiles shifted his weight from foot to foot, staring at a spot on the wall as Jackson’s thumb rubbed small circles on the wrist he still had a hold of. After a moment, Stiles took a breath and looked back to the blue-eyed man. “You're leaving,” he stated, sighing a little as Jackson’s brow furrowed, obviously not getting it. “You're leaving Jackson, and this... I mean, you're just gonna meet someone else, and--”

 

His eyes widened in shock as he was quietened by Jackson taking another step forward to press their lips together firmly. Stiles slowly responded to the kiss, resting a hand on the back of Jackson’s neck to hold him closer, the other hand twisting into the front of his shirt. When Jackson finally pulled away, they were both slightly out of breath, and Stiles smiled slightly as he opened his eyes to look at him. “I'll be back for fall break,” Jackson said with a nod. “This is going to work. I want it to work. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” replied Stiles with a nod, wetting his lips with a small, hesitant smile. He knew the going rate for long-distance relationships, and as much as Jackson was starting to mean to him, he was not sure what they had was going to make it. They made plans to call as much as possible, and once a week at the least, they were going to chat on Skype.

 

They talked and finished the baking until it was time to leave, and Stiles went with Jackson to his car out front. “I'll talk to you soon,” Jackson promised before kissing Stiles once more.

 

Stiles laughed softly and pushed at Jackson’s shoulder. “Get out of here before you're late.” He smiled and waited until Jackson had drove off before letting out a breath he did not realize he was holding, heading back into the shop to start opening up. Despite Jackson’s reassurances, Stiles was still not convinced things were going to be as easy as the other man thought.

 

The first few weeks were easy. They talked almost every day, making one evening a week to chat on Skype and watch the same movie (of course they argued over which movie every time). Stiles had just started to think that maybe Jackson was right, maybe they could make the whole long-distance thing work out, when the phone calls and the texts became shorter and farther between. The Skype chats dwindled down to a few minutes of conversation, and eventually Stiles went a week and a half without hearing from Jackson. It was the eleventh day of silence that Stiles was in the shop for the overnight shift, working on some new cupcakes when Caroline came into the back of the shop, sighing inaudibly at the sight of her co-worker that looked as though he had not gotten much sleep lately. “Maybe you should just go see him,” she suggested as she grabbed a hair elastic to tie the long strands back with so that she could help him. “I'm sure he would be glad to see you.”

 

“He's not said _anything_ to me in over a week, Caroline,” replied Stiles with a shake of his head. “I highly doubt that he would care if I was there.”

 

“He's probably just busy with school. Give him the benefit of the doubt? Go up and see him; you need to talk to him, anyway. He at least owes you an explanation.”

 

Stiles laughed softly as he handed her a bowl to work with, and he dusted off his hands on his jeans before resuming his work. “I'd seem like some overly clingy, stalkerish guy if I just showed up there.”

 

“He's your boyfriend. There's nothing wrong with going to visit him.”

 

Stiles worried at his lower lip as they continued to work together. He was unsure about her idea, but at the same time, figured she was right. They really should talk, and his texts were going unanswered while there was never a good time to call Jackson anymore with their busy schedules. With a sigh, Stiles pulled out his phone and sent Jackson a text, anyway.

 

_Miss you. Call me soon, Jax. -x_

 

Stiles got a text a few hours later, around the time Jackson was probably getting up for classes, that said he would call that evening. Stiles smiled at the text, signed with an 'x' and an 'o', and he absentmindedly brushed his thumb over the screen before putting the phone away. The rest of his day was spent waiting for that phone call, even though it was not evening until much later. Danny was officially in the apartment by that time and the two of them sat around playing video games after they had both gotten off of work. Stiles was more fidgety than normal, and Danny noticed, but did not say anything until it had gone on for a good hour. “So, what's up, dude?” Danny questioned him as he got up to go grab them each a beer from the fridge.

 

Stiles grabbed another slice of pizza (the entirety of it was bacon and onion because _Danny_ had good taste) and sighed with a slight shrug. “I'm just... Jackson's supposed to call tonight,” he answered after a moment, taking a bite of the pizza and chewing it slowly. He took the beer Danny handed him with a mumbled thanks before swallowing the food. “We've not talked at all in almost two weeks, and before that it was... well, we rarely talk anymore. I mean, I know we're both busy, but... 'm I wrong for wanting at least a long phone call now and then?”

 

“No,” replied Danny as he sank down low on the couch, lifting his feet to prop up on the coffee table as he took a swig out of the bottle in his hand. “Long distance relationships are hard; but, you've both gotta work at it. It won't work if you don't talk.”

 

“Caroline says I should go up there and see him.” Stiles picked a few pieces of bacon off his pizza as he spoke, frowning a little as he did with a soft sigh. “I dunno. I just... I feel like if I do that, I’ll come off as some psycho clingy boyfriend or something, y'know?”

 

“Tell him you're going to visit first, then. Get rid of the creepy aspect of it. S'no so weird if you let him know first.” Danny shrugged a little as Stiles settled down into the couch next to him. Neither one of them said anything after that, watching the people they were playing with online beat the crap out of each other while they ate their pizza and drank their beer.

 

It was nearing eleven o'clock that night when Stiles glanced at his phone again, biting his lower lip with a soft sigh. “He's not calling, is he?” Stiles asked as he fidgeted in place again.

 

“Call him. Take initiative,” instructed Danny with a nod as he got up, taking the empty beer bottles and what was left of the pizza into the kitchen so the pizza could go into the fridge and the bottles into the trash.

 

Stiles ran a hand through his hair, mumbling a thanks that Danny barely heard, and took his phone back to his bedroom. He sat on the edge of his bed in the darkened room, bouncing his knees before finally pulling up Jackson’s contact information and hitting the call button. Stiles held the phone to his ear as he lay back on the bed, drumming the fingers of his free hand against his stomach as he waited for Jackson to answer. A smile formed on his face when the line picked up after a couple of rings and he said, “Hey, Jax. I...”

 

“Jackson's in the shower,” a woman interrupted him, making Stiles' smile fall immediately as he sat up on the bed. “Can I take a message or something?”

 

“Why... why are you answering his phone?” Stiles brow furrowed a little. Not even he or _Danny_ touched Jackson’s phone ever. They just let it ring and told him someone called if he was not in the room.

 

The person on the other end of the line sighed heavily and Stiles could hear her moving around whatever room she was in. “Message or not?”

 

Stiles wet his lips and sighed but nodded to himself as he said, “Yeah, just... tell Jackson that Stiles is going to visit this weekend.”

 

“What the hell kind of a name is 'Stiles'?”

 

He rolled his eyes at her scoffed reply and frowned. “Would you just tell him?”

 

“Yeah, alright,” the girl replied boredly before hanging up the phone.

 

Stiles held his phone up to stare at it before tossing it aside, not paying it any mind as it fell to the floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was not sure what was going on, but he was trying to tell himself that it probably was not what it seemed like. He was just being paranoid. Stiles ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. He really hated the whole long-distance thing, but he was supportive of Jackson being in a great college. He was taking some classes (mostly online due to his schedule) himself at the local college, but Jackson had a full ride to a great _university_. Stiles could not fault him for wanting to be there. What he did not understand, however, was why Jackson just completely disappeared, but still had time for some strange girl that answered his phone.

 

Meanwhile, upstate at the university campus, Jackson walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed but still drying his hair as the girl that Stiles had spoken to set his phone aside. Jackson’s brow furrowed a little as he said, “Did you go through my phone?”

 

“Nope,” the girl, who was the girl Jackson had spoken to on his trip up to the campus a few weeks before said. Wendy had been spending a lot of time at Jackson’s dorm since she had a falling out with her roommate (the girl had _slept_ with her boyfriend). “Your phone kept ringing, though, so I answered. What the hell is a Stiles?”

 

Jackson dropped the towel to the floor at her question, a look of dawning crossing his face as he realized he had forgotten to call Stiles. “He's... why?”

 

Wendy shrugged as she swung back and forth on his desk chair. “They called, said something about coming up this weekend.”

 

“Okay,” replied Jackson with a nod, going over to grab his phone. “Wanna call in for some pizza? 'Ve got a phone call to make.” Jackson smiled at her before he took his keys and phone and went down the hall to the empty study room (which was really more like a social room since there was a television in it and no one studied). Sitting down on the couch, Jackson sighed heavily and called Stiles back. “Please, pick up the phone.” Jackson mumbled the words to himself, idly bouncing one of his knees.

 

Stiles turned over on his side, hearing his phone playing Jackson’s ringtone from the floor. He worried at his lower lip, trying to decide whether or not he should answer. He did not move, though; staring intently at the wall and window in front of him with a thick swallow. He knew he was probably being childish, but he did not know if he could talk to Jackson right then without accusing him of something. “Fuck,” Stiles groaned, moving over to the edge of the bed to reach down and grab the phone, answering it just before it went to voicemail.

 

“Stiles! Hey,” Jackson said, smiling with a faint sigh of relief at the fact that he got a hold of the other man. “Sorry, I was in the shower when you called.”

 

“So I was told,” replied Stiles, rolling over to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

 

Jackson winced a little and sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Wendy's been crashing with me and Collins 'cause her roommate's a bitch. I’m sorry I didn't call earlier, I got caught up hanging out with a bunch of people from my history class.”

 

“Yeah, no, it's fine. I just... I miss you.” Stiles brow furrowed a little as he spoke, not exactly sure how he got to the point where he would miss _Jackson Whittemore_ of all people. But he did. He missed their early mornings together and how Jackson would sing along to the radio if he thought no one was paying attention. He missed how Jackson would tease him relentlessly, but always keep a hand on his back in a reassuring gesture that none of it was meant. He missed waking up to Jackson being surprisingly clingy and cuddly. They had not even been together that long, and how much Stiles missed all of that _scared_ Stiles more than he was willing to admit.

 

“Yeah. I miss you, too, baby,” replied Jackson with a slight frown as he sank down low enough in the couch to rest his head on the back of it. “You're really coming up this weekend?”

 

Stiles could not stop the smile that formed on his face at the sincerity in Jackson’s voice and the hopeful sound in the question. He nodded a little, despite the fact that Jackson couldn't see it. “Yeah, if I can get someone to cover me,” he replied, though he knew Caroline would probably be the first in line to cover his shifts, maybe even Scott. “You really don't mind me showing up?”

 

“Of course not.” Jackson laughed with a smile and a shake of his head as he stretched his legs out to rest on the coffee table in front of him. “I want you here.” He had never thought that his crush on the skinny, hyperactive boy that knew too much and focused too little would actually _go_ anywhere. He knew there was a distance growing between them more than just the physical. His busy schedule was partly to blame, as was Stiles'; but, there was also the part of him that was not trying as hard as he could. Maybe that was because there was a part of him that could not believe that _he_ managed to get something that was so good. Jackson did have a history of unintentionally sabotaging himself when he did get good things. “You'll let me know exactly when you'll be here so I can make sure I’m there right?”

 

“Mmhmm,” replied Stiles with a yawn and a nod before laughing softly, turning on his side to crawl up the bed more and lay his head down on his pillow. “Sorry. Long day.”

 

“You should get some rest, then. I don't want to keep you.”

 

“No. Stay on the line with me?”

 

Jackson chuckled with a shake of his head, a smile crossing his features that was more earnest than any he had had in a few weeks. “You're such a sap, Stilinski.”

 

Stiles hummed a little in response. “Says the one who likes to snuggle all the time, especially during those romantic comedies.”

 

“Yeah, well, you love it.”

 

“Yeah, I do,” Stiles stated tiredly, missing the slight inhale of breath that came from Jackson in reply, the other man sitting up a little straighter on the couch. “Tell me about your classes.”

 

Jackson laughed softly and ran a hand through his hair as he slouched enough to rest his elbows on his knees after setting his feet back on the floor. He wet his lips and nodded a little before doing just that. He and Stiles continued to talk until Stiles fell asleep and Jackson finally ended the call, heading back down the hall to his dorm, where his roommate and Wendy were both sitting on the couch in front of the television. “It's about time you got back,” Wendy said as she tossed a DVD to him. “Put it in, loser.”

 

“Where'd you disappear to?” Collins asked as he stole another piece of pizza out of the box.

 

“Sorry. Had to call someone back home,” answered Jackson, unable to keep from smiling as he went to go put in the movie (a sports themed movie that the three of them loved).

 

“That Stiles person?” questioned Wendy, toying with the tab of her soda can.

 

With a nod, Jackson made his way over to the couch to grab a slice of pizza for himself, sitting down. “He's coming up this weekend.”

 

“Oh, cool,” stated the other male in the room, handing a soda off the table next to the couch to Jackson before grabbing the remote to skip the previews to the menu. “It'll be nice to meet one of your friends from home.”

 

Right. Friend. He had not exactly told either of them that he was seeing somebody, or that the person he was seeing was a guy. Back home, it was no big deal; but, he was not sure exactly how people at the university would take that kind of news, especially since he was in sports and that meant he used the locker room with a bunch of guys that could very well be homophobic for all Jackson knew. He was not sure if he was ready for them to find out. Maybe that was something that he should have warned Stiles about. Jackson worried at his lower lip for a moment, but ended up forgetting about it once the movie actually started and took his attention.

 

 

* * *

 

 

That Friday, Stiles sent Jackson an early morning text stating that he would head up that way after his shift, which would put him there in the early evening. It was not until closer to open that Stiles got a barely coherent reply that made Stiles laugh softly to himself.

 

_Coffee first, then text. -xo_

 

Stiles turned his phone on to vibrate and put it into his back pocket so that he could go turn the sign and unlock the door. He was excited to be going to see Jackson; but, a part of him was also nervous and he was not exactly sure _why_. He ran his hands over the sides of his jeans, going back over to the counter to wait for his first customer of the day; which was, predictably, Laura Hale. That morning, however, she had her obviously still half-asleep brother with her. “Make his with an extra shot,” Laura told Stiles with a wink, ignoring Derek’s grumbled statement of being able to order for himself. “Excited to be seeing Jackson again?”

 

Derek’s brow lifted but he did not ask as he leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. He never said a word to anybody (sans Isaac) until he had his coffee. Stiles just smiled and nodded as he said, “Yeah. I am. S'gonna be a long drive, but it'll be worth it.”

 

“Your dad's worried about you going up there alone.” Laura leaned forward, resting her arms on the counter next to the register. “Especially since you're doing a longer shift today.”

 

“I'll be fine.” Stiles waved a hand dismissively before going back to making the two very different coffees. He handed each one to the correct person with a smile. “Tell my dad I’ll text him when I get there.”

 

“Alright,” replied Laura with a laugh and a smile. “Be careful, alright. We'll see you on Monday.”

 

Stiles laughed softly and nodded a little, smiling as they continued to talk for a few minutes before the siblings left. Not too much longer, business picked up in the shop and Stiles was distracted by it. However, the closer it came to time to leave, the more anxious and excited he grew. Finally, Caroline laughed and shook her head at him as she said, “Just get out of here. I’ll hold down the fort 'til Erica gets here.”

 

“You sure?” he questioned, worrying at his lower lip as he wrung his hands together.

 

Caroline simply laughed once again and pushed him back toward the time clock. “Get out of here, 'fore you drive us both mad with your fidgeting.”

 

“Alright, alright,” chuckled Stiles as he started toward the time clock so that he could clock out. “I'm going.”

 

“Give him a good kick for me, will ya?” Caroline grinned as she leaned back against the counter, arms crossing over her chest.

 

Stiles just rolled his eyes and shook his head before grabbing his things out of the break room. Once he had everything, he left the shop, shouting another good-bye to Caroline as he went, and went to his car. All he had left to do before leaving town was to go by the apartment to get his things, and stop for gas. Once he had those done, Stiles started the drive up to Jackson’s campus. He fidgeted and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel the entire time, listening to music on his iPod, which was plugged into the radio. He hummed along, unable to keep from smiling as he drove.

 

It seemed to be hours longer than it had really taken before Stiles was parking in the guest parking lot, taking one of the last free spaces near the dorm that Jackson was staying in. Shooting a text to Jackson, Stiles got out of the car and made his way to the flag pole in front of the building, unsure which room was Jackson’s, or he would have just gone in. Jackson did not reply, but Stiles was not too worried. He was there a bit earlier than they had anticipated when they had talked last. However, the more time went on, the more anxious Stiles got. Where was Jackson? Did he _forget_ that Stiles was coming up? The coffee shop manager worried at his lower lip as he fiddled with his phone, resisting the urge to text again in fear of coming across nagging.

 

He was about to text again when he spotted Jackson heading out of the doors right in front of him, talking and laughing with some people he did not recognize. Jackson stopped, practically stumbling, when he spotted Stiles standing there and he smiled as he said, “Stiles? I thought you were gonna text when you got in.”

 

“I did,” replied Stiles as he lifted his brow, smiling all the same as Jackson walked up to him.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Wendy said as she flicked her hair out of her eyes. “You got a text while you were out of the room. You got mad at me last time I looked so...” She shrugged a little, ignoring the way that Jackson glared at her. “C'mon, we're going to be late for dinner.”

 

“Actually, uh, I think I’m gonna stay here,” Jackson replied, shaking his head a little as he looked back to Stiles.

 

Collins' brow furrowed a little as he adjusted the backpack on his shoulder, having planned on taking his growing pile of homework with him to the dining hall. “Who's this, Jack?” questioned Jackson’s roommate, realizing he was not sure exactly who the man that Jackson seemed quite excited to see was.

 

“Oh, right, this is my... Stiles,” Jackson answered, clearing his throat a little as he looked from his roommate to Stiles, who looked extremely confused while taking a step back away from Jackson. “He's, uh, a friend.” Jackson winced a little even as the words came out of his mouth and he immediately wished he could take it back. Jackson was not ready for that conversation with his roommate and friend; but, he realized that he definitely should have warned Stiles about that fact. The expression on Stiles' face was enough to make Jackson feel lower than low.

 

Collins seemed to be more perceptive of the situation than Wendy because he then grabbed her wrist and tugged lightly on it. “C'mon, Wend, let's let them be,” he stated before she finally allowed him to lead her off, shouting over her shoulder that they'd see Jackson soon.

 

Stiles just kind of stood there, and Jackson was not sure where to start. The longer the moments went with silence, the more tense it got until Stiles finally wet his lips and said, “Friend? I’m... Friends. Right, no, yeah. Brilliant. I understand.”

 

“Stiles, wait,” Jackson sighed, frowning as he tried to grab the other man's wrist to stop Stiles from walking off; but, Stiles jerked out of his hold with a scowl.

 

“Just don't touch me.” Stiles shook his head a little, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. He was not sure what to think or say. Everything felt so messed up and Jackson seemed to be fumbling to come up with any kind of explanation. “No, you know what? This is a good thing; _great_ , in fact. Now neither of us have to pretend like this was supposed to be something real.”

 

Jackson’s brow furrowed deeply as he frowned, taking in the other man's words and trying to make sense of them. “What? Stiles, don't be stupid.” He groaned and ran a hand through his own hair, eyes darting around them to people who were passing and giving them looks. “Maybe we shouldn't do this now.”

  
“Maybe we shouldn't do it at all.” Stiles' mouth snapped shut after the words came out and he immediately wanted to take them back. Instead he clenched his teeth a little and took a heavy breath. “No, y'know. Maybe this is a good thing. I mean... you're here, and I’m still back in Beacon Hills. This wasn't going to work out anyway.”

 

“You don't know that.”

 

The words sounded small and unsure even as he said them, and Jackson frowned a little as Stiles let out a slightly bitter laugh. “We've already fallen apart, Jackson,” he replied, shaking his head a little and ignoring the way that the other man winced at the sound of his full name. “It's probably just better that we don't. Save us both damage in the long run.”

 

“Stiles, this is not...” Jackson groaned a little, unable to bring himself to say what he wanted to say, or to pull Stiles into his arms like he really wanted to. He felt Stiles was overreacting, but he should have warned Stiles, too. Maybe if he had warned Stiles that he was not ready for the campus or his friends there to know about his orientation. It was not Beacon Hills and he was not sure how they were going to react. He just was not _ready_. Jackson knew that Stiles would understand that; but, Jackson was not sure how to _tell_ him without dragging him up to the dorms. He did not think that Stiles would allow that. “Just... come upstairs with me. Please?”

 

“No, Jackson,” replied Stiles, shaking his head a little as he wet his lips with a sigh. “I don't think that's a good idea. I should... I think I should just go. This...” He let out a heavy breath through his nose, stopping himself from stating that the entire thing had been a mistake. It had not been a mistake and Stiles would not give back the time he had been able to have with Jackson for anything. “I can't _do_ this, Jackson. Not... not this maybe one phone call every few weeks that lasts five minutes or the text tag and missed Skype chats. I can't be someone you can just... lie about and hide at your convenience. I need... I need someone that can be there, and it's not you.”

 

Stiles shook his head a little, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand before sighing and heading back to the parking lot. He had known going up there was going to be a mistake. That single seemingly small thing had just pushed everything one step too far. Stiles could not handle it all anymore. He was not sure if he was being selfish, but at that moment, he did not really care. After climbing into the car, Stiles hit the steering wheel with one hand and rested his head back against the rest. “Fuck,” he mumbled to himself, closing his eyes for a moment before he took his phone out of his pocket to call Laura. “Hey, Laur. Yeah, no. I’m fine, I just... 'm not staying up here. I’m heading back now. Can we... Could we talk?” He let out a breath he did not realize he was holding and nodded when she agreed. “Yeah, I’ll be there in... couple hours.”

 

After hanging up the phone, Stiles wasted no more time in getting out of that school, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the campus as possible. Meanwhile, Jackson continued to stand there outside the building, both hands resting on the back of his neck, fingers laced there as he contemplated going after Stiles or not. By the time he had made up his mind and rushed out to the visitor parking lot, Stiles' car was nowhere to be seen. “Fuck!” Jackson swore a bit louder than he had intended as he swung a kick at the nearest object. It was an empty trash can that made a terrible _clang!_ but Jackson paid it no mind. He had no idea what to do or how to try to fix things. Hell, Jackson was not even completely sure where he had gone wrong. Yeah, they had both gotten really busy there; but, what had he missed. There had to be something else, right? Exhaling heavily through his nose, Jackson dug his phone out of his pocket before he called Collins, glad that his roommate answered the phone on the first few rings. “Hey, man. Wanna grab some beer and bring it back to the dorm? Kinda need someone to talk to.”

 

“Is this about your friend?” Collins asked around a mouthful of fries, smirking as he could easily visualize Jackson’s eye roll in response.

 

“Yeah, it is.”

 

“He's not just a friend; is he?” Collins set aside the book he was working from, shoving it into his backpack with a glance at Wendy, who was too in to her conversation with some of her sorority sisters to notice. He heard Jackson sigh but give no response, so Collins said nothing.

 

After a few moments of tense silence (beyond what Jackson could hear of Collins gathering his things and going to throw away his trash), Jackson let out a slightly unsteady breath and said, “No, he's not.”

 

“Then, I’ll pick up some J.D.” Collins nodded in response to one of the cooks before he made his way out of the dining hall so that he could cross the street to the liquor store there, a few blocks down from their dorm.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Don't mention it, man.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at it, when Stiles parked outside of Laura Hale's apartment. Caroline would be at the shop with Erica that morning, readying for opening in a few hours. He sat there for a few long moments before cutting the engine and actually getting out of the car so that he could go up to her apartment, using the spare key she had given him. When Stiles got there, Allison, Laura, and Isaac were all sitting on the couch, with just enough room for Stiles to sit between two of them. “Get over here,” Laura insisted, having figured that something had gone very wrong if Stiles was returning already.

 

He managed a weak smile before crossing the room to sit down in between Laura and Isaac, sighing as Allison reached around the curly-haired young man to toy with his hair. Stiles closed his eyes at the action as they cuddled up on the couch, chewing on his nearly-split lower lip before looking toward each of them for a moment. “So, I’m pretty sure I broke up with Jackson,” he admitted, wringing his hands together on his lap. “We've... well, it's been difficult to have _any_ contact lately, and he introduced me as his _friend_ to his roommate and friend.” Stiles did not miss the way that Isaac winced at that fact and nestled closer, resting his head on his shoulder. He could clearly remember the time that Derek had done something similar to his parents. Isaac had just smiled and went with it, despite the fact it had hurt. Laura had hit him upside the head afterward.

 

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Allison questioned as she continued to toy with Stiles' hair, frowning faintly all the while. She hated seeing any of her friends upset, but it always seemed to be more true with Stiles. He was like a brother to her.

 

“Yes.” Stiles wet his lips and sighed softly after a moment before shaking his head. “No. I don't know. I just... I _snapped_ when he said that I was just his friend and I didn't... I didn't care to hear anything he had to say after that. It just... kinda sealed everything, y'know?”

 

“Things will work out how they're supposed to in the end,” Laura insisted with a nod, gently squeezing Stiles' forearm. “You're the one who reminded me of that when Dean and I split up a couple years back; and, things worked out just fine for us. It was really just the long-distance thing. That shit is _difficult_. I dunno how anyone does it.”

 

Stiles just sighed softly and settled down onto the couch more with a frown. Everything just felt like a mess, and Stiles had no idea how to deal with that. He wanted to fix things, but at the same time he just wanted to move on. It was _Jackson_ after all. He knew what Jackson was like, despite seeing a whole new side to the other man. Maybe it was good that he got out then, before he got hurt.

 

 


	2. In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson pines, Stiles tries to forget, and all it takes is a drunken phone call followed by some urging from a good roommate to get the two of them talking again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this installment is smaller than the first; but, it wraps things up nicely. Lots of cute fluffiness to rot your teeth with. May or may not do a sequel to this one. I dunno, yet. There's still so many things that could happen.

Jackson lost all track of time. He busied himself with school, focusing on getting the best grades he could in every class. He hung out with Collins in the dorms, going out to the movies or to get food, but never anything past that. He did not go to any of the parties, and he turned down Wendy down flat when she repeatedly asked him out. He spent the time in-between thinking about everything that had happened with Stiles, trying to figure out what it was that he missed, and trying to figure out how to make things right. He was mad that Stiles had insisted that they split up. It was stupid. They were good together, despite the fact that Jackson had never thought it possible. Sure, he had crushed on the talkative young man when they were in high school, but he had never thought that Stiles would ever see him that way. “It's almost winter break,” Jackson commented to Collins, who was attempting to study at his desk. “I think I’m going to go home.”

 

“You sure you want to do that?” questioned Collins without looking up from his biology textbook. He did not think Jackson should _not_ go, but he wanted to make sure that his friend and roommate was sure of whatever it was that he planned to do. He would have asked the question in the other direction if Jackson had expressed an interest in staying. “What if Stiles has moved on?”

 

Jackson sighed and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end before flattening it again as he sighed. “Then, he has. I’ll never know unless I go.” Jackson bounced his knees as he swung side-to-side in his desk chair. The thought of Stiles having moved on caused his stomach to knot painfully and his throat to tighten. He seriously hoped that the other man had not done that.

 

“On a positive side, he's had time to step back and breathe, so maybe you'll both see things more clearly now.” Collins nodded a little, turning the page in his textbook without looking over at Jackson once. He did not know exactly what the lacrosse player was going through, but he could sort of relate. Long-distance was difficult.

 

“I think I love him.” Jackson’s voice was small as he spoke, almost as if the idea alone scared him, which it did. He had never felt what he felt for Stiles for anyone else. He had loved Lydia throughout high school, but even then he had known it was not the type of love in which he wanted to stay with her forever. It was a high school love, his first and the one who helped him see the good in things he refused to see until she showed him. He missed her at times, especially of late. She would have known what he should do.

 

That statement did cause Collins to look up, his brow lifting as a faint smirk tugged on his lips. “Did you tell _him_ this?”

 

Jackson shook his head as he sank down lower in his seat. “I never had the chance,” he explained, sighing as he rested his head on the back of the chair.

 

Meanwhile, a few hours away in Beacon Hills, Stiles Stilinski sat at a table in one of the local bars with a few of his friends from work and from the college courses he took at the community college. They were all talking and laughing, and Stiles did not miss the way that Jordan’s hand rested on his lower back. It made him feel uncomfortable, and he shifted away from the touch slightly, hoping he would get the hint and move his hand. However, Jordan just shifted his hand so that it stayed where it was. So much for subtle. Stiles sighed softly and took a swig of beer out of the bottle in front of him before looking to Jordan and said, “Do you wanna dance?” So Jordan was not the person that Stiles wanted to be there with. He could deal with it. Maybe. Well, he could try, anyway. The whole purpose of going out and doing things was to stop thinking about Jackson. However, as he went out to where everyone was dancing and Jordan’s hands rested on his hips, keeping him held close, all he could think about was how he wished it was Jackson there with him.

 

After a few minutes, Stiles realized he could not do that any more and he pulled away from Jordan with an apologetic smile. “I think I need to go home,” he said with a nod. “Drank too much. 'M just tired, now.”

 

It was not exactly a lie. He had drank too much and would need to take a cab home even if he had not been driven there by someone else, and his head was already hurting. Work would be _fun_ in the morning. Stiles did not wait for an answer before he went to go get his jacket and then left the bar, letting out a heavy breath when he walked into the cool night air. It made him feel a little better, and more sober, but Stiles was still ready to go. So, he grabbed one of the waiting taxi's and headed back to the empty apartment. Danny was over at his boyfriend's that evening.

 

Stiles really did not like that during the day, Jackson would never even cross his mind; but, the moment he was out with people in the evenings, attempting to flirt or when he was trying to fall asleep, all he could think about was Jackson. It irritated him to the point that it made it harder to fall asleep and he often just left wherever it was he was with people.

 

That night, after he had showered and grabbed something to eat along with another, stronger drink, Stiles sat on the couch in the living room and he had an unexpected _want_ to call Jackson. He tried to ignore it, focusing on the _Avengers_ movie playing on the television but one and a half beers later, Stiles found himself sitting on his own bed with his phone held to his ear. He held his breath as the phone rang, not even glancing at the time to see that it was well after midnight. A few moments later, the line picked up and he heard Jackson groggily say, “Hello?”

 

Stiles wet his lips and found that he had no idea what to say, after a moment he finally forced out the words, “You were asleep.”

 

“Stiles?” Jackson’s brow furrowed as he sat up in his bed, running a hand over his face, attempting to wake up more. “What time is it?”

 

“I dunno. S'late.” Stiles shrugged, though Jackson could not see it as he lay back on his bed, his feet still flat on the ground.

 

“Have you been drinking?” Jackson tugged on a shirt, slipping on a pair of shoes before quietly leaving the dorm so that his talking would not wake Collins, and he made his way to the study room at the end of the hall. Stiles simply hummed in response, and Jackson took that to be a 'yes'. Sighing softly, he sat down on the couch once he reached the study room. “Stiles, you should get some sleep.”

 

“I hate you,” grumbled Stiles as he shifted on the bed, attempting to get more comfortable. “I hate how much you can hurt me.”

 

Jackson sighed softly and wet his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. “Stiles, I’m not talking about this with you while you're drunk. I don't want you to regret saying anything in the morning.”

 

Stiles groaned a little and pushed himself so that he was propped up on one of his elbows, using the other hand to pin the phone to his ear. “I can't even miss you properly. Like, it always just sneaks up on me and it hurts. I hate that you can do this to me.”

 

“Stiles, I’m so sorry,” Jackson said quietly, closing his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. “I'm going to hang up the phone now, though.”

 

“Don't, please.”

 

Jackson smiled sadly and sighed. “Stiles, you've been drinking. You don't really want to be talking to me. So, I’m going to hang up now, but when I come home for winter break, we're going to talk.”

 

“Jackson,” said Stiles, obviously ready to start arguing against what the other man had said, but Jackson did just as he had told Stiles. He hung up the phone.

 

Sighing, Jackson sat the phone on the couch next to him and he ran a hand over his face. A part of him wanted to just get in his car and drive down to Beacon Hills right then. He had a final the next morning, however. He really needed to be there to pass the class. Sighing, Jackson got up and went back to the dorm room, smiling sheepishly when he saw Collins was awake. “Sorry,” he said, nodding a little when his roommate dismissed it with a wave while making some coffee.

 

“Sit, talk,” Collins insisted, having grown used to the signs of when something was up with Jackson. Plus, if he got up in the middle of the night, something had to be up.

 

“It was Stiles,” Jackson admitted as he dropped down onto their couch. “I want to go down there right now and talk to him.”

 

Collins shrugged as he walked away from the small table that held the small coffee pot and sat down on the arm of the chair. “So, do it.” He laughed tiredly when Jackson just raised an eyebrow at him. “You've been pining after this guy for weeks, and you've wanted nothing more than to go to him. So, do it. If I had to choose between the person I loved and a stupid test, well, the test would never stand a chance.”

 

Jackson sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again, bouncing one of his knees. “I just... What if I make it worse?”

 

“Jackson, do you love him?” The mentioned young man was almost taken aback at the completely serious expression on his roommate's face, a no-nonsense one that he had never seen before; but, he nodded in response. “So, stop making it difficult. Just... go to him, _talk_ to him and figure things out. The longer you wait, the more resentment you'll _both_ have and the worse it will get.” Collins got up and crossed the room to the small coffee maker as it beeped, letting him know that the caffeinated drink was finished. “If you're that worried about your final, take it, drive down there, and come back before your next one. Beacon Hills isn't _that_ far away.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I think I’ll do that.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The following morning, Stiles groaned when Danny came into the room and opened the curtains on his windows. “Rise and sine,” Danny said as he placed a glass of water and a bottle of Advil next to Stiles' bed on the small table there. “I've got a perfectly greasy breakfast just right for hangovers waitin' on you to get your lazy ass out of bed.”

 

Stiles' brow furrowed a little as he looked from the water to his friend and back again. “How'd you know?” Stiles winced at how thick and scratchy his voice sounded and he sat up to take a drink of the water, hoping to rid himself of that taste in his mouth. That did not work but it made it less dry as he took some of the pain medications.

 

“Jackson told me.” Danny lifted his shoulder in a shrug and laughed when Stiles just looked confused. “Apparently you called him around one o'clock this morning.”

 

“I did not,” insisted Stiles in an unsure tone as he sat the water aside again. He did not call Jackson the night before, did he? A quick check to his phone proved him wrong and Stiles swore as he ran his hand over his face. “I didn't say anything bad, did I?”

 

“I don't know.” Once again, Danny shrugged starting toward the door of the room. “He didn't tell me what you said, just that you called and you were drunk.”

 

Stiles had not thought he had drank _that_ much the night before; but apparently he had been wrong. Sighing, he slowly made his way out of bed to get ready for work. He only ate about half of the breakfast that Danny had made for them, but it would keep so neither one cared. It did help him feel a little better, though. However, the drive to work was terrible. Even with his sunglasses, the light hurt his eyes. “Don't you look lovely today?” Erica asked in a teasing tone as Stiles came into the back to drop off his jacket and unneeded personal items, and grab his name tag. Stiles just grunted in reply and Erica laughed softly. “Drink too much last night, did you? Go home with anyone good?”

 

“Mmhmm, a man by the name Jack Daniels,” replied Stiles with a nod, earning a sympathetic wince from Erica when she realized he had just gone home to drink _more_. “I called Jackson last night, apparently.”

 

“Oh? How'd that go?”

 

The blonde leaned against the door frame as she studied her friend and boss, smirking a little at his discomfort. It was amusing to see _him_ being the hungover one for once. “No idea. I don't remember. I wouldn't have known if Jackson hadn't have told Danny, who told me. I think he hung up on me, though.” Not that Stiles blamed him. His brow furrowed a little as he tried to focus on that vague memory, but nothing came out of it and he sighed as he ruffled his hair. “Guess it doesn't matter.”

 

With that, Stiles made his way over to the time clock so that he could clock in before he went out into the main room behind the counter, letting the people already there head home. Stiles could man the register alone until the big rush near the end of the day. He was not really alone, though, as Caroline came in and ended up hanging around with him there since she had the day off. It was nearly time for the shift change, and the big rush, when Stiles heard Caroline say, “Is that Jackson?”

 

Stiles' head snapped up as his eyes locked on the door. Sure enough, outside the glass in the door and the large windows, Stiles could clearly see Jackson and his car. He inhaled sharply and absentmindedly gripped the edge of the table he was standing next to with both hands until his knuckles turned white as Jackson walked into the shop, making the bell above the door ring. Stiles looked from Jackson, to Caroline and back again before he said, “What are you _doing_ here?”

 

Jackson stopped a few feet away from him, despite his strong want to just close the distance between them. “I'm _sorry_ ,” Jackson stated with a sigh as he took of the sunglasses he had worn. “I'm sorry that I didn't warn you that I hadn't told anyone. I’m sorry that I did not try harder. I’m sorry that I let you worry even for a moment that I didn't want this, that I didn't want _you_.”

 

“Jackson...” Stiles said softly, wanting to get him to stop talking, not feeling that it was the time or the place for a confrontation, however Jackson did not seem to care and kept talking.

 

“I'm sorry that I did not keep in mind the worries you had told me before I left. I’m sorry that you felt, for whatever reason, that us breaking up was the best solution. I’m _sorry_ that I ever let you doubt even for a moment that I would have ever hurt you.” Jackson absentmindedly wet his lips and sighed as he shifted his sunglasses from one hand to the other, never letting his eyes stray from Stiles as he spoke. “You are... _infuriating_ and you never know when to shut up. You like the most ridiculous movies, and your taste in music is questioning at best. You're clingy and too loud, and have this habit of spurting out random facts when you get nervous or there's too much silence. Despite all of that, you're also the only one who can really make me smile. I love the fact that we can banter over little things but in the end it's never more than friendly teasing. I love listening to you talk, especially when you start getting tired and it turns more to mumbling than anything. I love waking up to having you in my arms, and the worst decision I ever made was letting you walk away. You're all I’ve wanted since _high school_ , Stilinski, and I’m here because I want you to know that I’m willing to do _anything_ to make this work. I love you, Stiles.”

 

Stiles stood there silently as he attempted to wrap his mind around everything that he had just heard. Jackson must have taken the silence as him not wanting to work anything out, because he turned to leave until Stiles said, “Wait.” Jackson turned back around to face Stiles just as the slightly younger man closed the distance between them and pulled Jackson into a kiss, earning them some cheers and whistles from the people around them though neither one noticed.

 

Jackson rested one hand on the small of Stiles' back, the other resting on the back of his neck to keep him held close, even as the kiss broke and they rested their foreheads together, Stiles laughing breathlessly. “I, uhm, I’ve a few hours left,” Stiles told Jackson with a nod. “We can actually talk about everything then, if you wanna go wait at the apartment.”

 

“No,” Caroline stated, making both of them turn to look at her as she tied her blonde hair back with an elastic band. “You two get out of here. I’ll cover the rest of your shift, Stiles.”

 

“Are you sure?”questioned Stiles, though he made no move to pull away from Jackson, who was still holding him close.

 

His friend nodded with a soft laugh and a bright smile. “Just go.”

 

After Stiles went to the back to get his things and clock out, reluctantly leaving Jackson there, the two of them left in their separate cars to drive to the apartment building that Stiles lived in. Neither one said a word as they rode the elevator up to the right floor and it was not until they were in the apartment that Jackson walked up behind Stiles, wrapping both arms around his waist while pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. Stiles sighed softly and ran his fingers along Jackson’s arm as he said, “Jackson, I’m sorry for... for just leaving like that. I should've heard you out and...”

 

“Stop, don't apologize,” Jackson insisted with a shake of his head. He understood why Stiles had reacted like he had, even if he did not agree with it. Still, he did not want to hear any apologies. He just wanted to move on. “We can make this work. I want this to work more than anything.”

 

“Did you mean it?” asked Stiles as he turned around in Jackson’s arms to face the other man, worrying at his lower lip for a moment. “What you said at the shop, did you mean it?”

 

“Every word.” Jackson nodded as he gently squeezed the young man in his arms before relaxing his hold once again. “I love you, and to be honest, that terrifies me.”

 

Stiles nodded, wetting his lips as he said, “Terrifies me, too. You could hurt me, so easily; because, I love you, too.”

 

Jackson smiled, a bright and honest one that most people never got to see, before he leaned in to kiss Stiles firmly, bringing the other man as close to him as possible. Stiles tangled his long fingers in Jackson’s hair, running his fingers repeatedly through the strands as the kiss slowly broke. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that?” questioned Jackson, sounding slightly breathless.

 

“Since high school?” Stiles replied, a smirk tugging on his lips as he continued to play with Jackson’s hair.  
  
“Smart ass.”

 

“You love it.” Jackson simply nodded in answer, placing a light but lingering kiss against Stiles' lips, making the younger man sigh softly in contentment. “How long are you here?”

 

Jackson idly ran his fingers along the small of Stiles' back underneath the hem of his shirt while continuing to hold Stiles firmly to his front, not wanting any distance between them. “I don't have to leave until morning. I’ve a final in the evening tomorrow.”

 

“You're staying here.”

 

Jackson’s brow cocked in amusement, though he did not argue. “I am, huh?”

 

Stiles nodded, stilling his fingers in Jackson’s hair once again. “We've a lot to talk about.”

 

And so, they did. They stayed up well into the early morning hours, laying in Stiles' bed, tangled up in one another as they talked through everything. Each explained his feelings about everything that had happened and about why everything had happened. They talked through how they were going to stop it from happening again. Jackson admitted to having not tried as hard as he could have, about having been scared of what it could mean if they continued to build on their relationship. He had found, though, that living without Stiles was much worse than any of those fears. Stiles explained his worries about being another one of those people that Jackson just stayed with until he got bored before tossing them aside. He did not want to be another meaningless fling. “I want to mean something to you,” Stiles said softly as his long fingers absentmindedly traced along Jackson’s arm, almost as if he was attempting to memorize the way the skin felt under the pads of his fingers.

 

“You mean _everything_ ,” replied Jackson, his voice just as quiet as he ducked his head to press a kiss to Stiles' shoulder, his own fingers splayed out on the man's skin underneath the back of his shirt.

 

Eventually, they drifted off to sleep, wrapped up in one another as rain pelted against the window. Neither one was sure what the morning would bring, but they had firmly decided that they would face whatever happened next together.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After that, the rest of the school year seemed to fly by. Stiles and Jackson spoke every chance they could get, even if it was just for five minutes. Stiles would go up to visit Jackson once every few weeks, and Jackson would drive down on long weekends. Every time, he never went to his own apartment but straight to the one that Stiles shared with Danny. Stiles had to upgrade his phone to unlimited text and talk, just to keep up with how much they communicated on top of his work calls. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Jackson and Collins were packing up their things at the end of another school year. Collins was transferring to a school closer to his hometown farther south to the point of almost being in Mexico, and Jackson would be finishing his final year of college through online courses while staying in Beacon Hills. He had not told Stiles yet. Neither Collins nor Jackson knew what Wendy’s plans were, but the two of them, at least, were going to keep in contact. Collins already had a place to stay with Jackson should he ever drop in to Beacon Hills.

 

It was later in the summer than his return home the year before, but a few of his classes that semester ran longer. They were only a few short weeks away from the Fourth of July, and Cry Wolf was as busy as it always was in the summer. It was because that it was so busy when he came in that Stiles did not realize his boyfriend was there an entire day earlier than he had been expecting until Jackson was suddenly next to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as he straightened up the back counter and wiped up some coffee that had been spilt. “Jackson!” Stiles exclaimed with a smile before throwing his arms around the other man's neck, hugging him tightly, a gesture which Jackson returned wholeheartedly. “I didn't think you were coming back until tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah, well, surprise,” replied Jackson with a smile, pressing a kiss to the side of Stiles' neck with a faint smirk as the man shuddered a little at the contact.

 

Stiles pushed him away, with his eyes slightly narrowed in warning to not do that. They were in public, after all, and Jackson _knew_ that Stiles always reacted to that. Jackson just grinned smugly and Stiles rolled his eyes. “Danny should be at the apartment if you wanna go hang out there.”

 

“Nah, I’ll hang out with him later. We've got plans,” he answered with a nod. “Figured I’d spend some time with you here.”

 

“I'm working.”

 

“I'll behave,” Jackson replied, holding his hands up with a smile.

 

Stiles shook his head with an amused smirk, but did not make Jackson leave. They spent the rest of Stiles' shift talking as Stiles worked, pausing only when he needed to talk to one of the employees or a customer. It was as Jackson watched Stiles working that the man realized that he had definitely made the right choice. There was nowhere else in the world that he would rather be than by Stiles' side. He had no doubts that they would face more obstacles and challenges along the way; but, as long as they were together, Jackson felt that he could face anything. Stiles was the best thing in his life, and it was when he was watching his boyfriend talking animatedly with Erica that he realized without a doubt that Stiles Stilinski was the one person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Instead of scaring him, the thought simply made him smile before leaning in to steal a quick kiss. Stiles paused mid-sentence and turned his head enough to kiss Jackson again, more firmly without letting the other man pull away for a few moments before he laughed softly and said, “What was that for?”

 

“Just because,” replied Jackson with a nod, wrapping an arm around Stiles' waist while ignoring Erica’s teasing comment about the two of them being nauseating, “I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the artwork I made for this: [here](http://all-the-sick-things.tumblr.com/post/46897776170/teen-wolf-au-wanted-to-go-sequel-to-coffee).


End file.
